Lifeline
by W5Lex
Summary: Danny and Grace are distraught after the death of Stan and Rachel, so Steve makes sure he's there to pick up the pieces. Steve/Danny slash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so this is a fic I wrote earlier this week. I've been holding off from uploading for a few days though, trying to decide whether it was too rushed. I've finally decided to leave it as it is, because I kind of like the brief chapters. The first long**_**ish **_**chapter is up today, tomorrow I'll put the second and third up, and then the day after that I'll update with the last two shorter chapters.**

**Anyway, this was written after a prompt from 5-Ofanatic:** "**Rachel & Stan die, and Danny now has sole custody of Grace. Without a stable place to live, Steve offers to help, while having 'secret feelings' for him with an eventual romance." So, thank you very much for the prompt, and I hope you like what I've come up with. **

Danny clutches Grace just a little bit closer, and he lets a tear escape from his eye. Because however badly Rachel may have treated him at various points in his life, Danny doesn't have to remind himself that he loved the woman. So. Bloody. Much. Maybe not anymore, but certainly for the duration of their relationship. And then some.

So Danny clutches Grace just a little bit closer, because though he hates that he's even thinking about this so soon after the accident - one week after to be exact - the new custodial changes may be the only good thing to come out of the death of Rachel and Stan. _Silver lining and all that…_

Danny takes one final look into the grave of his ex-wife before he can feel the gentle touch of his partner at his shoulder. Ignoring it, he turns, strokes a hand down Grace's back, and walks towards the Camaro.

Steve reaches the car before him though - predictably so - and before Danny has a chance to protest, the keys have been whipped from his clasp. "Steve, please. Not today, would you just…"

Steve comes into view from beside them both, and Danny's frowning at him with a look of sadness that Steve absolutely fucking hates. Danny's pretty sure that the look the ex-SEAL is going for is sympathetic. Doesn't suit him.

"Danny, you seriously think I'm gonna let you drive?" He puts the keys into Chin's hand with a whisper as he passes, and Danny's eyes drift to the thirty or so people that are leaving the cemetery, all clad in black. He points to the truck. "C'mon, Chin'll drop the car off, let me drive you home."

Danny sighs, but honestly, he doesn't have it in him to put up a fight. So ignoring the look of concern on Steve's face, he allows the man to give him a gentle shove in the direction of the truck, strapping a silently crying Grace into the back seat before joining Steve in the front with an upset look back to his daughter. She looks even worse than he feels.

The journey back to the apartment is quick, but as he moves to get out, Danny realises that Steve is a couple of chapters, maybe a couple of _instalments _ahead of him in _this _series of books. On Steve's request, Grace remains unmoving as Steve follows Danny to a spot away from the car, presumably because he doesn't want to interrupt Grace's thoughts, however solemn her face.

"Steven, what the fuck do you think you are doing? We just attended the funeral of my ex-wife, correct?" Steve seems to decide that a response is not what Danny is looking for right now. "Correct. And my daughter, my sweet, sweet daughter is in your car, and all she wants is to crawl into bed and cry. And right now, honestly Steve, I feel like doing the same. Because despite the fact that I no longer loved the woman in the _I-wanna-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you _kind of a way, she was the mother of my child," the hand gestures are going wild, the tears slowly refilling his eyes, "and that means more than you will ever understand," Steve winces, says nothing, intending to wait it out, "So please, I am asking you nicely, will you just let my daughter and I mourn in privacy."

Steve waits for a full three seconds before pulling Danny into a hug. It's an unusual display of affection for the pair, but if he's honest, it's a gesture that Danny has needed this past week. Finally, Steve pulls away. "Look, I know you're upset, I know the car crash shook you up, and I get that the _only_ relief is that Grace wasn't in that car with them, but I'm here Danny. I'm here, and I want to help. You and Grace. And I know this probably sounds stupid, and crazy, and all kinds of overprotective, but please, will you just come and stay with me for a while? You guys are gonna need some space and some peace, and I can keep out of your way. But I hate thinking of you two out here, suffering alone in that hovel." He gestures to the pathetic excuse for an apartment.

Danny searches for sincerity in Steve's eyes, and finds it. And despite the attempts at convincing people otherwise, Danny can't deny that the man is his best friend, and that maybe he's right. Maybe it _would _be better if they had the calm of the beach and the space of a house to get over this. So Danny, unable to say anything more right now for fear of breaking into another bout of hysterical tears, just nods, allowing himself to once again be coaxed towards the car. He listens as Steve explains to Grace, and then heads inside to pick up a bag of things for them both before returning to the silent car, this time slipping in the back beside Grace to pull her close and hide his tears in her hair.

Over the past week, his feelings for Steve haven't crossed his mind at all, not even once, and for the first time in the seven days since it happened, he has to _force _his feelings of affection away from conscious thought, because right now, Grace needs him.

**A/N: Love it? Hate it? Let me know :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Two days later, and they've all fallen into a more familiar arrangement. After refusing to speak for a whole day after arriving, Grace has finally started to talk some more. Getting over the funeral hysterics wasn't half as bad as getting over the initial hysterics, and though she's still sad for most of the time, Steve catches the occasional smile.

Danny seems to be holding it together. Mostly, Steve has made the effort not to get in his way too much, giving both he and Grace the space and privacy they need. The father and daughter are sharing the double in his spare room, and Steve is glad that, so far, his offer of co-habitation has not been met with a desire for termination.

But despite all of that, Steve is a little worried. Not because they don't seem to be coping as well as can be expected on their own, but because Danny has withdrawn a little, and though he suspects he's doing it to _help _Grace, he can see it's not. Danny and Grace are going through a similar sense of grief, and Steve knows from experience that the only way they'll ever be able to move on is together. He had felt the same when it had been his father. Sure, Danny had helped - probably more than he'll ever know - but he'd never _truly _been able to let it go until a visit from Mary.

Steve does most of the cooking, and he's in the kitchen when Grace joins him there, eyes bloodshot from tears as she carries a piece of paper. She lifts an arm to Steve, extending the white sheet. "Can we put this on the fridge, Uncle Steve?"

Steve looks down at the paper, and almost tears up himself when he reads the names under the artful drawings._ Mommy. Stan. Danno. Me. Steve._ Steve doesn't even have it in him to feel pleased that he's been included, and with a nod, he silently uses a magnet to attach the picture to the fridge.

Then, turning around and seeing that Grace is still watching him, he pauses from making the dinner, and leans down to lift Grace onto the counter. She doesn't protest, but she also doesn't let go. Once seated, she tightens her hold on Steve's neck, pulling him closer and holding back the tears as she buries her face in his shoulders. Steve had never been good with kids. Not until he'd met Grace.

"Shhh…shhh…Grace, it's okay." He pulls away and looks into her eyes, trying to convey that it really is. That though it hurts like hell right now, things _will _get better.

Grace lets out one short sob before biting it back. "Steve, I don't want Danno to be sad any more. _I _don't want to be sad anymore. I want Mommy."

Steve nods, clamping her head between his two hands. "Grace, Danno will be sad for a bit. You just gotta help each other. Keep giving him lots of hugs and kisses, make sure he's okay." And yes, even he's surprised at how sensible that sounded.

It's then that Danny chooses to make his entrance, and at the signal of Grace's gestures, Steve helps her down and watches with a shadow of a smile as she moves towards her father.

She launches into him, arms encircling his legs until Danny finally picks her up and wraps his arms around her. With Grace in his embrace, he walks back towards the couch and disappears out of view as Steve turns his attentions back to the meal.

This past week and a bit has been the first time in their entire friendship that he hasn't had to suppress his feelings for Danny, and he hates that life since Rachel died has kind of been easier for him in a twisted, selfish kind of a way. Because the death of his ex-wife has brought out the vulnerability in Danny, and all Steve has been able to think about is looking after him and Grace, about helping them to get to a point that the memory of Rachel is just a dull ache.

Stan has been relatively forgotten in all of this, but he knows that Danny possesses some kind of sadness for the passing of the man. Not so much because he liked him, but more for Grace's sake. Because although the girl had never formed the same attachment as she had with either of her parents - or Steve for that matter - she'd still lived with the man for the best part of six years.

So with Grace and Danny in need of Steve for support, the ex-SEAL's feelings haven't even surfaced. He's known for at least six months that he's in love with the man, but never would Steve even dream of taking advantage of Danny's weakness, so his focus is an intent on being exactly what they both need. And thankfully, mercifully, Danny hasn't denied him of the ability to carry out that duty.


	3. Chapter 3

Two months after the car accident, Danny feels like they've made progress. Grace is back at school, he's back at work, and they're both back at the apartment. But though the thoughts of Rachel's death are no longer at the forefront of his mind, even the slightest reminder pulls them there, and not without a breathtaking pang of sadness. Grace is similar, any small prompt bringing tears to her eyes.

But at the more extensive points of obliviousness, where Danny almost feels guilty for forgetting about the whole thing, those feelings for Steve have begun to make themselves known again, and Danny's not sure how much longer he can go on without acting on it somehow.

When the feelings resurface with frequency, Danny spends the best part of a fortnight wrangling with his emotions, trying to figure out his best course of action. Because he knows that he's not ready for a relationship yet, especially not with Steve. Not when he knows that any move he _does _make with the man would, on his part at least, mean considering him as a life partner, and he's just not ready for that. Not yet.

Rejection is something he's worried about, but if the constant ribbing from Chin and Kono - until before the accident, at least - and the heated looks are anything to go by, then Steve feels the same, at least to some degree. Whether it's full blown love as it is with Danny, he's not sure, but what he _does _know, is that he wants to say something - even if it means _doing _nothing - to make sure they both know where they stand.

And as he sits out on the lanai with Steve on a rare night without Grace - at a sleepover - Danny thinks that now may be the time. There's enough alcohol in him to ease his nerves ever so slightly, but not enough to lower his inhibitions completely as he tries to figure out what to say, and he fiddles nervously with the label of his bottle as he turns to Steve, eyes refusing to meet his curious gaze.

"Listen, Steve." He's listening, but Danny pauses for a moment anyway. "You know how much I…how much _we_ have appreciated your help recently, right?"

"Yeah Danno, but liste-"

Danny cuts his off with a gesture in the air, and he slowly raises his gaze. "I…" He struggles with his words, an unfamiliar feeling as Steve has so liberally reminded him in the past. "I'm not ready for this yet," he's well aware that Steve knows not of what the fuck he is talking about yet. "But I want you…I need you to know that I love you." That last sentence comes out in a rush, because Danny wasn't sure he would get it out _at all _otherwise.

He fidgets impatiently, waiting for some kind of response, rejection or otherwise, and for a long frightening moment he thinks that maybe he's just ruined everything between them and begins running through possible explanations for that revelation. Bringing a sigh of relief to Danny's lips, but not quite letting it escape, Steve's low voice finally makes an appearance.

"Danno," there's a smirk there, as if maybe he'd expected as much. "You know it's the same for me, it always has been." He reaches out a hand, and Danny realises that despite the crazy of the past couple of months that, yeah, he _has _always had his suspicions. The hand closes around Danny's, delivering a gentle squeeze as his eyes burn with honesty. "And I can wait." There's a short pause. "As long as you need."

Danny smiles, refusing to release the hand around his, and he returns his gaze to the ocean before them with a light squeeze of his own. The man may be an insane Neanderthal with a view of himself that far exceeds reality, but he loves him regardless. And though it's too soon after the death of his ex-wife for Danny to be comfortable entering into an intense relationship - which is no doubt what it would be - he absolutely believes Steve when he says that he'll wait. And he's grateful that he will, because not only does Danny need him in his life; so does Grace.

**A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews. The final two shorter chapters will be up tomorrow :)**


	4. Chapter 4

A further four months after the first - and last - time they'd talked about their relationship, and six after the accident, the night isn't all that different. Grace is upstairs, sound asleep in a bed that she and Danny have made use of more frequently now that they end up here most nights, staying over if Danny has had too much to drink.

Steve and Danny haven't ventured as far from the house as usual, standing out on the lanai instead of their usual spot on the deckchairs closer to the water. They both lean on the railings of the porched area, and Steve is taking a moment to cast his mind back to the night Danny had told him he loved him, confirming that the feelings _he _has are whole-heartedly reciprocated by the Jersey boy.

He glances over to his partner. Danny looks more serene and calm than he has since the death of his ex-wife, and it's a look that suits him. His dirty blond hair is dimmed in the darkness, the light from the moon playing on his handsome face, with the shadows from the structure of the lanai leaving some areas in total darkness, whilst his eyes glisten against the soft glow. Ties now disappeared from his wardrobe, his shirt is open at the neck, and the material clings to the contours of his body as they always do, a _perfect _fit for his well-muscled frame.

As Steve appraises him, Danny turns and meets his gaze. Steve doesn't look away, just allows the corners of his mouth to tug up into a hazy smile, letting his stare return to the ocean before them only when they're ready to. He can see Danny fidgeting out of the corner of his eye, and he's doing that thing he always does when he wants to say something; nails scratching against the wood of the railings, bottom lip taken between his teeth as he chews anxiously.

Steve is about to turn back to him and ask what the problem is, only Danny gets there first. In one fluid movement, he pushes himself away from the edge, and his lips are on Steve's. In fact, his whole body is on Steve's. Danny has gotten very close, very quick, his form pressed to Steve's and hands travelling to the back of his neck and shoulders. But the kiss is still tentative, testing the waters to make sure it's still what they both want.

The ex-SEAL lets out a low moan of protest as Danny pulls away, just far enough that they can rest their foreheads together until finally he pulls away farther. Steve wants this so badly, he does, but he reminds himself to be cautious. "Danny," his voice is barely a whisper as he looks deep into Danny's eyes. "You sure?"

Danny answers with a smile, wiped off of his face only by a second kiss; a longer one because apparently Steve's protest the first time had been enough to assure him. And this time Steve's moan is not one of complaint, but one of pleasure as Danny slips his tongue into his partner's mouth, and fuck; Danny's mouth is good for more than just talking.

Steve lets go, allows the warmth to spread right through him as Danny moves himself closer still, one hand staying at his neck whilst the other slips beneath his tee, resting at his hip and moving ever so slightly with each movement of his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

One month into the relationship and everybody already knows. They had tried to keep it quiet in the beginning - on Danny's request - but Chin, with his deceptive look of disinterest and calm demeanour, had been the first to notice, offering the information to Kono not long after.

Danny had kept it from Grace not because he wanted to but because the last thing she needed in her life right now was _more _change. But his opinion had changed quickly when Steve had told him for the second time that he loved him, and on realising that this thing wasn't likely to end anytime soon, more likely _ever_, he slipped into her bedroom at bedtime and asked if it was okay. She'd promptly proceeded to squeal with delight at the prospect of spending even more time with her second favourite man in the whole world, and Steve's face had regained some colour.

Steve wakes up first, still unable to hold back the smile at the warm body that greets him. He opens his eyes slowly to see Danny asleep at his side, blond hair in a messy disarray and a shadow of stubble gracing his face. It's six o'clock, and Steve really should be getting out of bed for his morning workout round about now, but with a sigh, he tugs himself closer to Danny because lately, he's found the task of getting out of bed much harder to contest with.

With another smile to himself, he moves closer, wrapping an arm around Danny and letting his eyes flutter shut.

**H**

**5**

**0**

It's not until two hours later that there is any more movement in the house, and a quiet knock on the door pulls Steve - always a light sleeper - from his slumber again. Grace pokes her head around the door, and Steve can clearly remember the day that she'd asked him whether the new arrangements meant that she couldn't come in for a cuddle with her Danno any more.

Without too much hesitation, pausing only to glance down at a still weary Danny, Steve pulls back his side of the covers for Grace, giving her a gentle push as she lands inbetween the two men. Grace shuffles over immediately, hugging close to her father with a tug on Steve's hand that indicates for him to do the same. She turns around, settling as Danny encloses her in his embrace and clasping hold of one of Steve's hands in both of her own.

Steve just smiles, moves a little bit closer, and presses a kiss to her forehead. Now, after only a month together, it's becoming pretty damn hard to remember a time when this _wasn't _the awakening he got on the weekends, and Steve wouldn't have it any other way.

**A/N: Lots of love to everyone that has read, alerted, and reviewed. Would love to hear what everyone thinks of the finished fic. I'm gonna go back to doing what I'm supposed to be doing for the rest of this week - revising for mocks - but I'll probably be back at the weekend with the first chapter of a new fic. LY. x**


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